Michigan vs. Air Force: F-16 Viper vs. B-52 Bomber

I was born and raised 45 minutes from Ann Arbor Michigan. To this day, I throw verbal fists for the Maize and Blue. Now a member of the U.S. Air Force, I will be superglued to my TV Saturday, watching two of my favorite college football teams engage in gridiron combat.

Even if you are not a huge fan of Michigan or AFA, watching differing styles of offense in action will be fun to watch.

AFA showcases an offense that epitomizes complexity. To put this football team into Air Force terms, it is like an F-16V Viper fighter jet. It is quick, lightweight and has multiple roles (triple option + Wing-T + what the heck was that formation?).

Opposing defenses that are not vigilant, decisive and disciplined quickly find themselves on the receiving end of a precision-strike attack.

Piloting this well-oiled, chaotic-looking offensive machine is senior running back Cody Getz. Last week vs. Idaho State, Getz ran for 218 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons' 49-21 victory at the academy. Getz’ performance was part of a 490-yard team rushing attack on the day.

But AFA knows Michigan is no Idaho State.

And Michigan is hopping mad after getting destroyed on national television by the Alabama Crimson Tide (which looks like college football’s version of a B-2 Stealth Bomber).

Michigan is like a B-52 Stratofortress. It is big. It is fast. And it has a long-heralded history of kicking asses and taking names. And when this bird of prey boasts a full arsenal (looking at you, Fitzgerald Toussaint) it can prove deadly.

AF.mil

Add Michigan's anger to excitement of playing its home opener before over 100,000 rowdy fans, and the AFA may become the victim of a perfect storm at the Big House.

Michigan will look to bully AFA early and often, using Toussaint and Denard Robinson as its precision-guided missiles. If Toussaint and Robinson can establish UM’s running game, Robinson may post monster numbers tossing bombs to receivers Roy Roundtree, Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon.

For AFA not to get blown out in this game, it must withstand the storm of emotion that will emanate from every direction. It must keep its wits and stick with its game plan. If not, it might be a long day.

But if AFA can fly into this hurricane and exit with its wings still intact, we may be in for one heck of a football game.

Regardless, this matchup provides yet another example of why college football is so fun to watch.